Call Number:

MC 52B

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing

Extent:

202.5 linear feet

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

National Fund for Medical Education records, Barbara Bates Center for The Study of The History of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

circa 1949-1992 (inclusive)

Creator:

National Fund for Medical Education

Form:

Financial records and Administrative records

Abstract:

The National Fund for Medical Education is a not-for-profit corporation that raises funds and administers grants to educate health professionals. This collection is NFME's archival records that document the organization's fund raising and individual and institutional grant administration. The bulk of the collection is comprised of grant files for the years 1966 to 1991 with institutional grants greatly outnumbering those to individuals. This collection, as a whole, mirrors changing perceptions of the education and practice of health care professions of the late twentieth century.

The National Fund for Medical Education was a response to the crippling economic situations of medical schools throughout the U.S. during the 1940's. The scarcity of funds led to school closings and serious cuts in health services. University presidents recognized these threats to health education and formed fund raising strategies for the economically deprived medical schools. Starting in New York, their efforts propelled an organization to amass these new funds and, thus, the National Fund for Medical Education (NFME) came into being in 1949. NFME's original mission is described in their By-laws as follows:

The purpose of the Fund shall be to raise from private sources, disperse and administer funds for medical education and in connection therewith to take other appropriate action to promote and foster the following objectives: (1) The interpretation of the needs of medical education to the American public; (2) The encouragement of the growth, development and advancement of constantly improving standards and methods in the education and training of all medical manpower in the Nation; and (3) The preservation of academic freedom in the institutions of medical education.

NFME's prestige grew during the 1950's with its involvement with the American Medical Association. Early supporters such as President Dwight D. Eisenhower fortified the foundation's purpose and encouraged sponsorship of this not-for-profit Congressionally chartered corporation. In the following decade, NFME was instrumental, in part, in bringing about governmental aid to medical schools by demonstrating their importance to America's wellbeing through research and well-educated professionals. Over time, the organization's mission expanded to include support of education for the whole spectrum of health professions, not just physicians.

The economic vicissitudes of the 1970's forced NFME's scope of funding to narrowe while government support of medical schools dwindled. Corporate restrictions on donating increased and so medical schools expanded their own fund-raising efforts. Nevertheless, many schools and individuals continue to benefit from NFME fund raising efforts to this day. Some of the programs recently funded by NFME include education for managed health care; development of a home health care curriculum which defines elements such as nursing services, use of high tech equipment, and facilitation of daily patient activities; continuing medical education programs; recruitment and retention of minorities in medicine and biomedical sciences; and a nursing-medical school collaborative education program (for which NFME collaborated with the National League for Nursing and New York University) to devise joint curricula and conduct joint projects for medical and nursing students. NFME-administered grants have supported both medical school faculty members and medical students. Medical faculty have received funding to develop, test, implement or disseminate innovations in medical education and health care delivery, to improve the functioning of physicians in managed care settings and to foster collaborative programs between industry and academia. Grants to medical students, funded by SmithKline Beecham Medical Perspectives Fellowships (SKBMPF), have provided opportunities for medical students to conduct diverse independent projects not generally included in medical school training. Examples of SKBMP fellowship-funded projects are "Designing a Medical Guide to Educate Vietnamese in Hanoi and Seattle on the Prevention of Infectious Eye Diseases" and "Exploration of the Social Networks of Low-Income Elderly and Homeless Patients of Inner-City Free Clinics." Other corporate sponsors, to name just a few, of NFME-administered projects include the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, General Motors Foundation, Wausau Insurance Companies, Atlantic Richfield Foundation, and Aetna Life & Casualty Foundation.

Through its Incentive Grant Award Program which began in 1986, NFME worked with medical educators and deans of medical schools throughout the country to speed dissemination of new teaching methods. Educational programs were selected by NFME and leaders of these model programs hosted faculty visitors from other institutions. Grants of $1,000 were made to deans who pledged to match the award dollars to sponsor their faculties for visits to observe unique models, first-hand.

NFME launched a new initiative in 1994, the Primary Care 2000 Program, to encourage health professions schools to produce more primary care providers with the skills that the new health care system will require. The program is intended to assist faculty to initiate changes in curriculum, program design and student admissions through leveraged seed grants.

In 1995, NFME transferred its headquarters to San Francisco and now collaborates with the Center for Health Professions at the University of California at San Francisco.

Series I. Administrative Files, 1949-1991- This series comprises of administrative records generated by NFME, including, but not limited to, agendas, minutes/meeting records, activities of the Board of Directors and its executive committee, office procedure manuals as well as NFME's annual reports and personnel files (which are restricted--see Curator for details). Some of the pre 1970's minutes/meeting records are bound, and contain other records (financial materials for example). This series is arranged alphabetically then chronologically. Series VI, Correspondence, should be consulted for related materials.

Series II. Committee Files, 1968-1989- This series contains files on most of NFME's committees. Earlier records indicate the possibility other committees not listed here, thus Series I should be consulted. The Nominating Committee presents potential candidates to NFME's Board of Directors and committees. The Development Committee seeks ways to increase NFME's funding through a variety of means, including special gifts from members. The Educational Advisory Committee, or EAC (previously Evaluation Committee), oversees grant and fellowship applications and recommends to the Board those proposals deemed suitable for NFME funding. The EAC is an important source of information on the Grant files, Series IV. The Publications Committee publishes NFME's brochures and other publications. And finally, NFME set up ad hoc committees for special situations. Records of these ad hoc committees include, for example, notes from a brainstorming session on fund raising ideas. This series is arranged chronologically. Series III. Financial records, 1961-1990- This series includes records of audits, taxes, expenses, investments, donor lists, and other financial materials pertaining to the overall operation of NFME. These files are arranged alphabetically, then chronologically. Series IV. Grant Files, 1966-1991- By far the most important group of records, this series contains the records of grant and fellowship applicants/recipients. This series is divided into three subseries: Administrative, Individual, and Institutional files. The two latter subseries also have some administrative materials which precede the actual grant applications. The Administrative Files consist of memoranda, summarized reports, site visit information, surveys, and correspondence pertaining to both grants and fellowships.

In the subseries "Individuals" are files from the years 1972 to 1989 which reflect awards to individual medical students for projects that enhanced their medical education, or fellowships to already practicing M.D.s or Ph.D.s that provided them with additional experiences which enhanced their teaching or practice skills. The majority of these files contain all or some of the following: completed application forms, correspondence with the applicant and project advisors, award (or refusal) letters, final reports, photographs, and sometimes a videocassette. The projects were funded by the SmithKline Beckman Foundation but administered by NFME. These files are arranged alphabetically by individual's last name, then chronologically. The "Institutional" subseries is comprised of the grant files reflecting awards to medical institutions, such as universities and libraries. The bulk of these were dubbed Innovative Grants; a small number were part of the Incentive Grants Program. The Innovative grants tended to be of four types: health care cost containment; improvement in the quality of care; improvement in the education process; and other. This subseries makes up the bulk of the Grant files, and has been NFME's main funding concern. The grant files contain grant applications, correspondence, report summaries, budgets and curriculum vites. They are arranged alphabetically by institution and have been coded as follows:

NFME Innovative Grant# = number assigned to project and indication of year project was proposed and initiated. Investigator = primary person responsible for proposal and direction of project. NFME Contact = primary NFME administrative official in contact with project investigator as indicated in file's correspondence. Guidelines = includes goals or means of project execution as indicated in: project proposals, grant applications, progress reports, and/or final summaries. "Success" = completion and/or fulfillment of project and/or project's guidelines. "Success?" = completion and/or fulfillment of project and/or project's guidelines is questionable or not validated. "Partial Success" = partial completion and/or fulfillment of project and/or project's guidelines "?" = there is no evidence in the file of completion and/or fulfillment of project and/or project's guidelines. "Failure" = non-completion or non-fulfillment of project and/or project's guidelines for any reason (including non-funding).

Series V. Donor Files, 1956(?)-1990- These files pertain to various contributors, both actual and potential ones, to NFME. They include meeting records, correspondence, tallies, directories and tickler files. This series is arranged alphabetically by donor organization, then chronologically with in each listing.

Series VI. Correspondence, 198?-1991- This series is comprised of letters and memos between board members, contributors, and others. These are arranged chronologically.

Series VII. Printed Materials, 1971-1990- This series contains books, pamphlets and brochures mostly prepared by other organizations but it does include some materials published by NFME and or NFME-sponsored projects. The materials are arranged alphabetically by title. During processing other printed materials were not kept by the Center, but have retained a full listing of original titles donated and is available upon request.

Series VIII. Audio/Visual, Slides, and Computer Files, 1963-1996- This series contains audio cassette tapes of Board retreats, Board Meetings, and Trustee workshops; eight video cassette tapes about teaching skills for residents, home care and the SmithKline Medical Perspectives Fellowship Program; two 16 mm films; and computer floppy disks which include files on grant information, mailing lists, letters, site visit reports, minutes and surveys. Unfortunately much of the floppy disks require specfic computers, therefore Center staff have been unable to verify the contents of the files. File information is based on labelling of the floppy disks. With the exception of the floppy disks, the series is arranged chronologically.

Series IX. Other Organizations, 1976-1995- This series is comprised of guides, conference programs, reviews and membership directories generated by other organizations such as the American Medical Association. The contents are arranged alphabetically by title of organization.

Series X. Public Relations Materials, 1981-1987- In this series are reports to contributors, corresponence, newsletters and publicity photographs, among other items, which are arranged chronologically.